More Than a Dream: How Kids Can Help Animals Today

Does your child have a “rescue heart”? Many children feel a calling to save animals, but they often feel powerless because they are “just kids.”

The best way to turn that passion into purpose is by providing them with the right information. In So You Want To Be An Animal Rescue Worker, Linda Soules does an incredible job of shifting the focus from “what is this job” to “what can I do now.”

Whether it is assembling a supply drive, learning about fostering, or simply understanding how shelter routines work, the book provides actionable steps for young readers. It transforms a big, abstract goal into manageable, everyday actions that make a real difference.

Equip your young activist with the knowledge they need to start making an impact in your community today.

See what we thought of this inspiring read: https://www.bookbelow.com/book-review/so-you-want-to-be-an-animal-rescue-worker

My favorite reads of 2026... so far.

Check out my reviews for details but all of these are bangers in their own way:

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/71384024-michael-shotter?shelf=read
The Book Radar
https://thebookradar.com/library/19?shelf=83
The StoryGraph
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books-read/shotterwriting

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Why Fashion is a Great Lesson in Ethics for Kids

We often think of fashion as purely about trends and aesthetics, but it’s actually a powerful medium for teaching kids about global impact, labor rights, and body positivity.

In her book So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer, author Linda Soules manages to weave these complex, “grown-up” topics into an accessible guide for 10-to-12-year-olds. By framing fashion through the lens of craftsmanship and ethics, Soules invites parents to have meaningful conversations about what goes into the clothes we wear every day.

It’s refreshing to see a career guide that doesn’t just talk about the glamour of the runway, but emphasizes the discipline, empathy, and social responsibility required in the industry today.

Want to see if this book is right for your family? Check out our breakdown: https://www.bookbelow.com/book-review/so-you-want-to-be-a-fashion-designer

The Genius as Still a Product of His Time?

I’m slogging through the annoying beginning of Georges, by Alexandre Dumas père, while I find bits and pieces of the dissertation and Viva Voc defense of Dr. Anna J. Cooper. Recalling a bit of my review of her book, pub. 1892, A VOICE FROM THE SOUTH. BY A BLACK WOMAN OF THE SOUTH, I noted, I think, that there were also a few ideas in her book, as well as the obviously problematic ideas in that of Dumas, which were held during the Victorian era. Even most geniuses remain products of their time in many ways, and their writings will show it, even when those same writings give us tools and ideas that continue to move the human race forward, in spite of the flaws in those works. I’m having to swallow my distaste for much of what Dumas is writing as I work my way up to the better parts of his book, and as I remember that as worthy as her writings are, even Dr. Anna J. Cooper wrote a few things that I considered less than ideal, but that is in my review of her book, which I may read again after I finish Dumas’ Georges and Dr. Cooper’s dissertation.

Nia, the very tired, but still determined, on behalf of Project Do Better.

Injustice delenda Est…